Runcation Travel (2024)

04/12/2024

Two more days left for our sale of the year ending Dec 5th! And good news! We’re giving away 3 more of our x hats to the next 3 people that book 🥳

Here are the details of our sale going on now through Dec 5th at midnight. *Discount cannot be combined with other discount codes or referral program credits*

1) Choose a guided trip from the list below and enter the code THANKYOU100 when booking for $100 off any trip.
2) Tag your running buds and share this post to your story and greater running community. For anyone that books by Dec 5th you’ll receive an additional $15 off (just send us an email or shoot us a dm to have it applied).
3) The first three people to use our discount code will also receive a limited edition x Edelweiss hat!
4) Thanks for following along! We’re grateful you’re here!

Guided 2025 Summer Trips:
Dolomites + Slovenia June 22-28, 2925 ⛰️⛰️
Tour du Mont Blanc June 29-July 7, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Peaks of the Balkans June 29-July 5, 2024 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Dolomites Hut to Hut AV1 July 11-17, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Dolomites Hut to Hut AV1 July 18-24, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Dolomites + Slovenia July 26-Aug 1, 2025 ⛰️⛰️
Cortina Dolomites Highlights Aug 3-8, 2025 ⛰️
Haute Route Aug 16-24, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️🫡
Pyrenees Aug 24-30, 2025 ⛰️⛰️+

27/11/2024

Anyone else feel like they could use a vacation? For those that have been following along, you know that our sales are few and far between, but we’ve got one going on now through Dec 5th!

We’re kicking it off on because we believe in purpose-driven shopping in support of women-led brands and businesses.

We also support gifting experiences, treating yourself or others to a vacation, less screen time, connecting with other runners irl, meeting other people from different parts of the world and learning something new, traveling to run through a landscape you’ve always dreamt of, and having something on the summer calendar to motivate you to keep getting out the door and running during this season of colder and shorter days.

Here are the details of our sale going on now through Dec 5th at midnight. *Discount cannot be combined with other discount codes or referral program credits*

1) Choose a guided trip from the list below and enter the code THANKYOU100 when booking for $100 off any trip.
2) Tag your running buds and share this post to your story and greater running community. For anyone that books by Dec 5th you’ll receive an additional $15 off (just send us an email or shoot us a dm to have it applied).
3) The first three people to use our discount code will also receive a limited edition x Edelweiss hat!
4) Thanks for following along! We’re grateful you’re here!

Guided 2025 Summer Trips:
Dolomites + Slovenia June 22-28, 2925 ⛰️⛰️
Tour du Mont Blanc June 29-July 7, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Peaks of the Balkans June 29-July 5, 2024 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Dolomites Hut to Hut AV1 July 11-17, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Dolomites Hut to Hut AV1 July 18-24, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️
Dolomites + Slovenia July 26-Aug 1, 2025 ⛰️⛰️
Cortina Dolomites Highlights Aug 3-8, 2025 ⛰️
Haute Route Aug 16-24, 2025 ⛰️⛰️⛰️🫡
Pyrenees Aug 24-30, 2025 ⛰️⛰️+

25/11/2024

We ❤️ Runcation reunions! This crew met on one of our Dolomites hut to hut trips and the following summer they met up for a reunion trip of multi-day running in the mountains. Thanks for letting us share your lovely photos !

It brings us so much joy when we see people that met on one of our trips join us again on another trip or meet up on their own for a run to keep the trail psych going. Have you taken a Runcation reunion?! Let us know over dm or in the comments!

24/11/2024

Trip Spotlight! Run our All Levels Cortina Runcation: Best Trail Runs in the Dolomites Aug 3-8, 2025.

Trip Difficulty: Level 1 ⛰️ This is an ALL LEVELS trip. Every day is capped at 8-10 miles with 2,000-3,000 feet of gain or under except for our final point to point run.

Accommodations: 5 nights in 3/4-star hotels 🏨 🏨🏨🏨

Who’s it For: You want to see the highlights of the Cortina Dolomites by trail running with a local expert guide with all local transfers between trailheads, lift and entrance tickets, and baggage transfers handled for you. You want to see all the highlights, but cut out long days on technical trails and minimize elevation gain to under 3,000 feet. You could be someone new to trails or new to running back to back days on trails in the mountains and want to ease into it. Maybe you’re an experienced runner, but you don’t want to run super high mileage on your vacation or are coming back from an injury. You’re on vacation and not trying to push the pace! Your ideal running vacation includes a mixture of relaxing and exploring Dolomites highlights condensed into one week. You like to have afternoons and evenings free to explore the area on your own or have the option of meeting up with other participants (this trip is guided for all the transfers+ runs, but you’re free to explore on your own afterwards)! You want comfortable 3/4-star hotels in towns, to get a massage, and choose your own evening adventure of relaxing or exploring! This trip is for All Levels.

22/11/2024

We’re thrilled to join the initiative! Women-Led Wednesday is a purpose-driven shopping holiday that takes place November 27, 2024 supporting women. Please consider supporting women in leadership through collective purchasing power this holiday season and beyond.

To learn more about the efforts to create a more gender balanced economy, head on over to and explore the well over 700 women-led brands listed in the Women-Led brand directory. And stay tuned for a special announcement from us next Wednesday!

22/11/2024

Trip Spotlight! Run hut to hut staying some of the best rifugios in the Italian Dolomites July 11-17 and July 18-24, 2025!

Trip Difficulty: Level 3 ⛰️⛰️⛰️ We spend 6 days on the trail and the two longest days are 14-15 miles with 5,000-6,000 feet of gain. The trails on this route are more technical than some of our other trips, but there is still plenty of running. This is a great chance to gain more experience and confidence in the world of trails and mountain running.

Accommodations: 1 nights in 4-star hotel and 5 in rifugios 🏨 🛖 🛖 🛖

Who’s It For: For those that want to stay up high in the mountains and not sacrifice a day of magical views from trails, this is for you! You want to experience what hut to hut running along a high route in the Dolomites is like, but you also want someone to curate ones with the most delicious food, insane views, and even a few saunas. If you’ve taken our quiz to find out which trip is right for you, you’ve answered “whatever gives me the best views” to what sort of running trails you’re looking for. You’re also down for bit of an adventure and say heck yes to sleeping in communal dorm rooms in rifugios for nightly sleepovers with your Runcation crew instead of 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♂️. We think that the combination of conquering the trails of this route together and the group hangs watching sunsets and sunrises together from rifugios is almost a guaranteed recipe to new running buds by the end of the week. If you’re a solo traveler, this is a great trip for you! If you’re traveling with a friend or partner, it’s also a great trip. 😊 This trip is a ton of fun and sells out every year. It was also our very first Runcation trip, so come check it out!

21/11/2024

Trip Spotlight! Run our Guided Tour du Mont Blanc June 29-July 7, 2025 running hotel to hut to hotel through Italy, France, and Switzerland. You’ll kick off the trip with a night in a 4-star hotel in Chamonix before spending 8 days out on the trail with one rest day in Italy.

Trip Difficulty: Level 3 ⛰️⛰️⛰️ The TMB covers just over 100 miles and ~33,000 feet of elevation gain/loss and you’ll average ~15 miles/day out on the trail (some more, some less) with a rest day in the middle.

Accommodations: 5 nights in hotels and 3 in huts 🏨 🛖

Who’s It For: There’s a reason runners flock to Chamonix each summer, and we think completing the 100-mile circumnavigation of the Mont Blanc massif should be on every runner’s lifetime list. There’s not a bad day on this tour and while there is a lot of mileage and gain, the trails are very runnable overall for the mountains and tend to be less technical than other mountain areas. You want to experience point-to-point running through 3 countries and want the unique experience of staying in mountain huts, but also like to have several days of double accommodation in comfortable hotels. You want to join a crew to tackle the TMB together with the added bonus of Chamonix running guides to keep morale high, share stories, and make adjustments due to weather, trail conditions, or route variants if needed. You don’t want to look at your phone for navigation and would prefer to be out there following your guides and running with each other. Fun fact: for the last 3 years there’s been participants on this trip that have used this trip as a Runcation reunion, or have gone on to stay in touch and continue running with participants they met on this trip, so there’s a pretty good chance your running community might grow a little larger after tackling the TMB together.

20/11/2024

Trip Spotlight! Run your way through the Dolomites and Slovenia staying in 4-star hotels along the way. Join our Guided tour June 22-28 and July 26-Aug 1, 2025.

Trip Difficulty: Level 2⛰️⛰️ You still cover some 12-15 mile days on the trip, but the elevation gain mainly stays capped at 1,500-3,500 feet and we’ve selected less technical trails and running routes in the mountains and lakeside. There are alternate options available on certain days to take a rest day or run lower mileage.

Accommodations: 4-star hotels 🏨 🏨 🏨 🏨

Who’s It For: You just can’t decide between the Dolomites or Slovenia, so want to see both! You want to do some point to point longer routes in the mountains to get a real feel for running through the valleys of the Dolomites, but also appreciate having base camps in Slovenia with gorgeous lakeside running closer to sea level (as well as some days in the mountains). You also appreciate less technical trails and having options for taking a rest day or running less miles during the week (or running more). You want to sample both Italian and Slovenian cuisine and learn about the running and culture from wonderful local trail running guides. You appreciate how wonderful it is to be able to run in the mountains and also sit in a wood-fired hot tub, get a massage or sauna at the wellness center, enjoy a complimentary aperitif, and enjoy comfortable double accommodation in 4-star hotels each evening. You’re ready for a running vacation!

19/11/2024

🆕 Trip Spotlight! Run our brand new guided Pyrenees itinerary Aug 24-30, 2025!

Trip Difficulty: Level 2-3 ⛰️⛰️+ While this trip gets a level 3 for the mileage and includes some technical trails, the moderate elevation gain in the mountains, comfortable hotel accommodation, and less technical routes (well, less technical as possible in the Pyrenees) also gives it a level 2-3 rating.

Accommodations: 2/3/4-star hotels and one night in a hut 🏨 🏨 🏨 🛖

Who’s It For: You love bigger days on the trail, but also appreciate getting in early enough for downtime, a massage at the spa, or enjoying a meal or beverage with other runners in town. You prefer private rooms in hotels to recover after days in the mountains and have been curious about visiting wilder regions and trails in Europe, but want an experienced local trail running guide to pick out the ones best suited for running. You want to join other like-minded trail runners, meet runners from new areas, and make some friends, and have the added safety of a mountain guide that can help you learn about the rich culture of this region.

And good news! Our popular self-guided itinerary from 2024 is back (available June-Sep 2025). This itinerary is different than our guided tour and features longer days on more technical trails in the mountains. You can view the itinerary for both on the website!

18/11/2024

🆕 Trip Spotlight! Run the Haute Route with us from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland Aug 16-24, 2025.

Trip Difficulty: Full Send ⛰️⛰️⛰️🫡 This is for experienced runners or trail runners and includes an estimated time of 7-10 hours per day on trails for 6 days with one rest day in the middle. You will cover 17-23 miles per day with 6,000-8,000 feet of elevation gain/loss per day. This is our most extreme Runcation in terms of mileage and elevation gain.

Accommodations: Hotels and Huts 🛖 🏨

Who’s it For: This trip is for anyone that’s attended a Level 3 Runcation and at the end of the day asked, can we do a little more? It’s for those that are looking to get a bit sendy, challenge themselves, and enjoy a bit of a sufferfest on their vacation with big days back to back in the mountains. You’ve probably completed an ultra or a multi-day fastpacking route, and aren’t a stranger to 20 miles with 7,000-8,000 feet of gain in the mountains. You know what power hiking is and have maybe had some experience on technical sections of trails or steep climbs. You’ve got the fitness, but are looking for a fun trail community to tackle this route with. You’ve got trail experience, but for a route as long and technical as this one, you’re looking for an experienced local mountain guide to lead through technical sections, make changes if necessary due to weather, and tell you all about the gorgeous mountains you’re in!

12/11/2024

Our very first Runcation was our hut to hut Dolomites tour, and the huts we’ve curated over the years are not your average huts. Leave your energy gels behind on this hut to hut trail running tour along a high route in the Italian Dolomites. There’s no shortage of cappuccino, beet and deer ravioli, local cheeses, spritz, insalata mista, vegetable soups, pastries, spaghetti, and even Prosecco cake. We tackle some impressive mileage and gain along the way (you can check out the elevation profiles on our website for details) and are well-fueled along the way. For those that have been asking about self-guided, these special rifugios we visit are already sold out for most of July, but the good news is we still have spots secured on our guided tours. Join us July 11-17 or July 18-24, 2025!

Trip Details
Level 3 ⛰️ ⛰️⛰️
Accommodations: A 4-star hotel Cortina and mountain rifugios with breakfasts and dinners included
Dates: July 11-17 and July 18-24, 2025
Food: 🔥

https://runcation.org/retreat-dolomites-running

08/11/2024

Take a trip. Run somewhere different. Meet new people. Eat food you’ve never tried before. Download Duolingo and see how much of a new language you can learn. Try out those ultralight trail running poles you’ve been meaning to use.

We’ve got a flash sale going through the weekend. Tag a running bud that should join you on a Runcation, share this to your story, and dm us for your custom discount code for $100 off any of our guided trips through September 2025.

📸: from our September Full Send Choquequirao crew on their route to get their Canadian, Peruvian, American, Swedish, Italian, and Tanzanian passports stamped at Machu Picchu

05/11/2024

Part 3: The Running

In my research for the trip I read about the area as a more rugged and wild version of Europe, and as such I anticipated the running being a little more adventure style. I pictured trails overgrown with grass, unmaintained trails, landslides, and talus. To my surprise, I started out running out the door of my guesthouse in Theth Valley and barely stopped until descending back into same valley several days later to finish the route. While there were obviously sections of steeper climbs (this is the mountains after all) that I hiked, there was more often than not runnable rolling singletrack and wide fire roads of smooth dirt and firmly packed crushed limestone.

I was blown away by the ridge running here, and it felt like almost every day had an epic section of dirt singletrack through green grass and trailside wildflowers with views in every direction of jagged limestone mountains shooting up. I was equally in love with the magical sections of birch and beech forests that provided shade in an abnormally hot July and were such a welcome contrast to the open ridge running.

The more wild and rugged side of Europe wasn’t the trails, but instead the lack of crowds and the amenities you can expect to find along the route. While running on my own in the Dolomites or the Alps I rarely carry more than a little water because of the amount of huts and cafes along the route for coffee, cakes, pasta, and more. While running point to point in the Balkans, there were often long sections without much in the way of food or refreshments, and even finding the natural springs with water along the route can be very difficult (and differ season to season). After my first day out in a 17 degrees above average July day 🥵, I learned my lesson and started carrying much more water.

While our self-guided and guided trip is a Level 3 for mileage and elevation gain throughout the week, this is easily our route with the most flowy and runnable mountain trails of any of our trips. Learn more at https://runcation.org/peaks-of-the-balkans-trail-run-guided-selfguided ✌️

Trip Stats
Level 3 ⛰️ ⛰️ ⛰️
Available in Guided (June 29-July 5, 2025) or Self-Guided (June-Sept)
Accommodations: Hotels and Guesthouses
All Meals Included

01/11/2024

Part 2: The Guesthouses

“An Albanian’s house is the dwelling of God and the guest.’ Of God and the guest, you see. So, before it is the house of its master, it is the house of one’s guest. The guest, in an Albanian’s life, represents the supreme ethical category, more important than blood relations. One may pardon the man who spills the blood of one’s father or of one’s son, but never the blood of a guest.”

-Man Booker Prize winner Ismail Kadaré, author of Broken April

The guesthouses of the Balkans are such a unique and wonderful experience and feel like an integral part of running the Peaks of the Balkans. These family-run guesthouses, or Bujtina, range from rustic mountainside lodging to unique A-frame cabins to places that resemble more of a bed and breakfast feel. The accommodations are usually a couple of individual rooms or cabins shared with one to a handful of other people and all the bedding, towels, linens, and soaps are provided for you. Each guesthouse I stayed at was located along the route, and there was always a gorgeous lawn, balcony, deck, or terrace to stretch and relax at after a long day on the trails.

The breakfasts and dinners are often at large communal tables in their terrace or garden where you share plates of incredible fresh local meats, fish, cheeses, vegetables, in-house baked breads, and all sorts of local dishes (I couldn’t get enough of each guesthouse’s own unique take on tarator—an excellent side made of yogurt, cucumber, and fresh dill). You have the chance to meet other travelers and enjoy some wine, beer, or lemon soda with your meal underneath the alpenglow of surrounding limestone mountains. The hosts were always so incredibly accommodating and friendly and it was such a treat to feel welcomed into their guesthouse each afternoon after a long day on the trails.

Our Peaks of the Balkans self-guided and guided itinerary is now available at Runcation.org

30/10/2024

Part 1: The Route

I spent a portion last July running a long distance hiking trail in the Western Balkans passing through Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo traversing the Bjeshkët e Nëmuna (in Albanian) or Prokletije (Serbo-Croatian) mountains, both translating to the Accursed Mountains. The route connects ancient mule, shepherd, and soldier tracks connecting remote regions and villages that were once separated by strict borders. Along the route you can find bunkers built over two generations ago when communist regimes controlled Yugoslavia and Albania.

The history of the trail and the region is complex, and I can’t possibly do it justice in one Instagram post, so consider this a very broad overview of what I learned about the route while I was there. The trail was established by the leaders of Kosovo, Montenegro, and Albania, local hiking clubs and consultants, and the German development organization German GIZ who were inspired by the Balkans Peace Park Project, whose mission is below:

“At the heart of our vision is a transnational park, a rugged mountainous region spanning Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo, a symbol of peace and cooperation where communities from all three countries work together to protect their fragile environment, stimulate local employment, and promote sustainable visitor activities in the region.”

This long distance trail links Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox communities and by partnering with Albanian and Kosovar mountain guides and Montenegrin guesthouses, people are able to hike point to point on the route and experience a different kind of energy in these isolated mountain villages.

For my week-long route, I selected portions I thought would be best for a week of trail running by cutting out longer road sections and adding on other incredible running trails in nearby valleys that weren’t included in the long distance route. It’s incredible, and I encourage you to go and learn more!

Offered as guided + self-guided now on the website:
https://runcation.org/peaks-of-the-balkans-trail-run-guided-selfguided

29/10/2024

Over the next few posts I’m excited to announce our newest trip and share a little of my experience scouting it, but before that it’s time for an overdue introduction. My name is Liz and I’m the founder and owner of Runcation Travel. I’m so grateful you’re all here!

I started running late in high school (thank goodness I never made that Varsity volleyball team) and went on to compete at the D1 level at Columbia University and USC. I went to graduate school for Kinesiology where I studied the impacts of outdoor adventure therapy on young adult cancer survivors and worked in adapted physical activity. Before Runcation I worked internationally with runners in Peru and Kenya and coached and taught in the Kinesiology department at a community college while also working as a freelance writer (surprise, mainly covering running). I started Runcation when I was still coaching and teaching by using my vacation to take scouting trips and then offer them on my summer/winter academic holidays.

As a college and high school coach and while working in guiding and sports media roles, one thing that frustrated me in all these industries was the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, which ultimately led to me starting my own thing. When we started with our first hut to hut Runcation in the Dolomites we were the first non-Italian company to offer trail running trips there (back when you could still just show up at some huts 😏). I make sure I’m on this trip every year because it’s just.that.good. Since then Runcation has expanded to offer guided, self-guided, and custom trips across multiple levels throughout the Europe, South America, the U.S., and I can’t wait to announce what’s next. I’ve personally scouted out each of our trips (because I always dreamt of running there) and we currently have trips ranging from Level 1 to Full Send. I’ve met so many incredible runners on our trips and imho we have the best guides on the planet (seriously). Thanks again for being here, and I hope to see you on a trip soon!

📸 1,2,4,5,7 the mega talented

27/10/2024

We have some new faces here and if you haven’t had a chance to check out the website, we thought we’d share more of what we’re about here. 👇

Runcation Travel creates international running adventures for runners by runners. Instead of having to squeeze in a run on vacation, your run becomes the vehicle for exploring and learning about a new country, new culture, and a new landscape. Our ‘Runcations,’ or running vacations, offer a chance to disconnect, meet new friends, and travel long distance routes through some awe-inspiring landscapes. You also cover some pretty impressive mileage up and down mountains along the way.

Our running vacations were inspired with combining the simplicity of running hut-to-hut in the mountains with the comforts of a vacation. This type of experience has inspired the current trail running retreats we offer, with the added comfort of baggage transport and curated specialty mountain lodges (from mountain huts to 4-star hotels). Even the mountain huts, with 3-course dinners, full bars, comfortable beds, and prime views, are appropriate for a true running vacation.

Our Runcations began with groups of like-minded runners sharing and appreciating the gift of trail running through beautiful places with one another. While our trail running guides are local expert mountain guides and International Mountain Leaders and we’ve taken care of all the details and logistics for you, we like to think our running vacations have the feel of running with your pals and a few local expert friends (even if you just met them at the start of the trip)!

Our current Runcations include guided, self-guided, and custom group trail running tours all over the world. Since 2016 we’ve scouted out the best trail running destinations and offer running holidays in the Italian Dolomites, Chamonix Mont Blanc, Argentinian Patagonia, Slovenia, Peru, California’s Sierra Nevada, the French and Spanish Pyrenees, and more. Learn more at Runcation.org

07/10/2024

On our All Levels Sacred Valley Peru Runcation you’ll have the opportunity to explore the ancient Inca city of Cusco and its surroundings immersed in trails, Peruvian cuisine, culture, and views. You’ll have the chance to trail run past amazing sites including Moray, the earliest agricultural experimental “labs” in existence, and the salt mines of Maras while enjoying views of the Patacancha Valley and Apurimac Canyon. In addition to your trail guides, a local expert guide will accompany you along the way in your journey from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu to guide you through the history and importance these places have in Peruvian culture today.

We want to hear from you! If you’ve been interested in joining this new All Levels trip, when would you like to see it offered in 2025?!

Runcation Travel

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